"I would never do (a commercial) with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect but because we don't agree with them. Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role," Barilla chairman Guido Barilla said in a recent interview.

As is always the case when a business CEO reveals his true colors, he later offered the standard-issue "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way" fauxpology: "I apologize if my words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, and if they have offended the sensibilities of some people."